With use of bio-diesel increasing, Stanhope-Seta is offering a handheld device for checking the percentage of bio-diesel in fuel.

Bio-diesel is a diesel fuel that contains blends of FAME (fatty-acid methyl ester) made from animal fats and vegetable oils. It combusts with lower concentrations of toxic emissions than conventional diesel fuel and its use is being globally specified in support of environmental regulations.

Blends of 20% bio-diesel and lower can be used in diesel powered equipment with few if any modifications to the engine; however certain manufacturers limit their warranty liability to specific maximum blends. Therefore, warns Stanhope-Seta, determining the percent of bio-diesel before the fuel is used is recommended.

For fuel producers and blenders it is also important to determine the precise volume of FAME in each batch of BioDiesel, as failure to do so may lead to financial penalty, liability claim and loss of market confidence in the fuel supply. Those storing and distributing fuel have the same liabilities.

Estercheck uses micro mid-range infra-red built into a simple hand held measurement platform. Stanhope-Seta says no instrument warm up time is required and using a simple three-step test procedure, results are provided in less than one minute with accuracy down to 0.2% FAME content.

01932 564391

www.stanhope-seta.co.uk